Introduction:
Tokyo Marui launched their 870 shotgun series a few years ago to much applause. An evolution of their "tri-shot" shotgun system, this time utilizing gas propulsion instead of spring and capable of 6 round firing, the 870 gives you more durable and more skirmishable performance out of a full metal package. They continued to evolve the 870 platform, releasing this model, the "Breacher" version a short while later. Modeled after a real shotgun platform used by military units worldwide, this compact variant is ready to absolutely destroy the competition in CQB use. Keep reading for my thoughts on this unique airsoft platform.

Ordering:
I was sent this gun by Airsplat who has it available HERE currently priced at $329.99. The fact that a major US based retailer like Airsplat is stocking TM products in bulk is pretty astounding, considering TM hasn't been too keen on US distribution. Well, Airsplat has made some magic happen and now they stock many of TM's products with their US based support. Spare shells and gas tanks are also available on the site to keep you up and running.

Basic Gun Information:
As mentioned before, the TM 870 Breacher is a shortened version of the 870 Tactical shotgun. It features full metal construction, with the only polymer parts being the pistol grip and pump handle. On the full size 870 Tactical, the gas tank is in the stock, but with the Breacher, it's stored in a small pistol-like magazine located in the pistol grip. Like the earlier tri-shot guns, the 870's BBs are stored in a shotgun shell like magazine holding 30 rounds, giving you 5 or 10 shots, depending on your selected fire mode. It is backwards compatible with the old shells, so if you're like me and have a whole pile of shells, you're ready to roll! The gun is, simply put, one of the most solid feeling airsoft replicas I've ever tested. It looks and feels like a real 870.

First impressions/Packaging:
TM packaging is always top notch and the Breacher was no exception. Coming in a durable cardboard box with high quality images of the gun plastered all over it, the gun itself is secured with special velcro wraps to keep it from bouncing around in the box. The shell and gas tank are secured in their own spots, making a nice presentation when you open the box. I couldn't wait to pull it out of the packaging and get my hands on the cold metal receiver and comfortable pistol grip. This first impression did not disappoint in the least bit. The thing just feels right.

Click on the individual thumbnails to see the full size photos
Box art

Included:
Along with the gun itself, TM includes a single 30 round shell magazine, single gas tank, and barrel cleaning rod, BBs, along with a whole litany of literature, warning sheets, manual, target sheet, etc. Add gas and more BBs and you're ready to hit the field.

Externals:
The 870 Breacher looks pretty much exactly like you would expect a real 870 to look, aside from the orange painted muzzle. It is made almost entirely out of metal, unlike earlier TM shotguns and fits together perfectly without any creaks, wobbles, rattles, or other problems. Tokyo Marui is known for some of the higher end externals and build quality with their replicas, and this is no different.

External overview, right side
Left side

There is no stock on this shotgun as it's the short barreled breacher model. It does come fitted with a faithful replica of the Pachmayr grip available on the real shotgun. Some people think it looks wonky, but honestly, it feels fantastic and looks realistic for the gun. At the top of the pistol grip, you'll find a sling mount loop. The gas container is fitted into the pistol grip and removed by pressing the small button on the bottom.

The receiver is made of metal and has a great matte black finish. The controls are extremely simple, consisting of a push button safety, shell door release lever, and trigger. That's it, nothing too fancy here. The right side of the receiver has a faux bolt that moves back when you pump the gun, exposing the switch that allows you to choose 3 or 6 BBs per shot.

Receiver, left side
Receiver, right side
Controls
Bolt pulled back with the pump handle
Switch for 3 or 6 shot mode

You load the gun by first pulling back on the small lever in front of the magwell which will open the door at the bottom of the receiver. Place the shell in, front first, then pivot the rear of the shell up until it locks in place. You can then close the door, and you're ready to go.

Shell being inserted

The metal outer barrel is a little over 9.5" long with the magazine tube/pump guide being the same length. The pump handle is wide and has deep ridges to help you keep a solid grip. It also features a handstop molded into the front to keep you from accidentally shooting your hand. The pump effort is much lower than the old tri-shot models, making this easy for all shooters to use. You can actually unscrew the cap of the magazine tube and store a spare shell inside. There's a spring system inside to keep it under pressure and easily removed.

There are no iron sights on the 870 Breacher, but you will find a 20mm top rail for mounting optics of your choosing. This works very well with simple reflex sights at most ranges.

Top rail

Trademarks:
You'll find a few trademarks and realistic markings spread throughout the 870 including "Model 870" and a serial number on the left side, and Tokyo Marui markings on the right side. The barrel also has realistic caliber markings molded in.

Mark of quality
870 markings
Serial number
Barrel markings

Magazines:
The included magazine is a plastic shotgun shell shaped unit that holds 30 rounds. As mentioned before, this will give you 5 or 10 shots, depending on if you have it set to 3 or 6 rounds per shot. The shell differs from the older tri-shot shells in its color and markings, but the gun is able to fit and use the older TM compatible shell magazines.

Shell
Feeding end
Base that locks into the gun

Performance:
Performance using Airsplat green gas and .20g ammo is as follows:

Chronographing multi-shot shotguns is a notoriously unreliable science. My Madbull chrono gave me some fairly consistent results, but with occasional ridiculous swings. In general, plan on the gun shooting about 250 FPS with 6 shot mode and 300 FPS with 3 shot mode. This puts it well under pretty much every field's regulations, making this a good gun for just about everywhere.

Range and accuracy will vary depending on the firing mode selected and your BB weight. In my testing, I noticed that the 3 shot mode works best with .23g BBs and the 6 shot mode works perfectly with .20g ammo. You will get torso sized spread out to 100' easily with that ammo setup. The spread is more vertical than horizontal, which isn't exactly preferred for most use, but you still get at least 18" of side to side spread at that range.

Gas economy is quite good as well, giving me 7-8 shell loads per gas fill if you take your time between shots. It runs green gas just fine, something that the 870 Tactical had issues with due to its thinner walled gas container. This seems to take the pressure of green gas without flexing and getting jammed up.

One thing to note when firing, you can slam fire the gun by holding the trigger down and just racking the pump, but I wouldn't recommend it as a normal practice. Other than that, this thing performs precisely how I would want it to perform. It runs like a shotgun, plain and simple!

Internals:
Internally, I've never been one to mess around much with my shotguns, since they're generally pretty fragile. This gun is supposed to have a more robust nozzle system, and if you do have a nozzle break, there are aluminum replacement units available from aftermarket manufacturers. The internal gas system makes the pump action MUCH lighter than the old tri-shots, which was the primary cause of nozzle breakage. Overall, the thing seems much more durable than the older shotguns.

Modifications:
Unlike the old tri-shot shotguns, the aftermarket has responded extremely well to the 870 series, as a ton of internal and external components have hit the market shortly after the launch of the guns themselves. Different barrels, pumps, stocks, internal parts, setups that allow you to run HPA, etc are all available at many major airsoft retailers. No matter how you want to trick out your 870, you should be able to easily find your parts.

For me, I'm probably going to be setting this up with an HPA kit and testing it out with milsimlabs upcoming M4 magazine conversion kit, giving me an absolute ton of firepower in a very compact package.

Pros:
One of the single most skirmishable airsoft shotguns ever made
Tokyo Marui quality
Very easy to pump compared to older tri-shots
Great gas economy
Runs green gas just fine
Able to fire 3 or 6 BBs per shot
Backwards compatible with old TM type shells
Full metal construction
Aftermarket parts available

Cons:
Initial price is a little high (but cheaper than shotguns like the APS) - $330
Spread is more vertical than horizontal
Limited shot capacity, especially in 6 BB mode

Overall:
There are very few guns that I test that I really, really struggle to find fault with. Everything has its quirks, flaws, and plain old screwups, but the TM 870 Breacher really required me to dig down to find faults. The gun looks perfect, with a gorgeous finish that emulates the real gun flawlessly. The performance is, simply put, exactly what we have been waiting for from an airsoft shotgun. The gun is accessible to shoot even for small statured players, due to its low pump weight. The only things that I could ding it with is the price (which is still cheaper than my other favorite shotgun, the APS CAM870), the fact the spread is more vertical as opposed to horizontal, and that reloading every 5 shots is a little cumbersome. These are really minor complaints on an otherwise stellar gun. 10/10, would bang again.